Exporting in the Irish advertising sector is unusual. An Irish ad agency being awarded the global advertising account for one of the world’s biggest brands is unheard of.

Yet last month that’s precisely what happened when Asia Pacific Breweries appointed Irish ad agency Rothco as global advertising agency for its flagship Tiger Beer with a remit to develop Tiger’s advertising for the whole world.

The appointment followed a competitive seven way pitch against some of the world’s biggest agency groups, including major players from Singapore and London. It follows on from another big win Rothco had in 2010, when it joined a roster of only four international agencies which produce global TV work for Heineken.

Rothco was established seventeen years ago in Dublin, is wholly Irish owned and this year alone has taken on 14 new staff bringing its headcount to 70. It is already an established player in Irish advertising and is the agency of record for major clients including AIB, Meteor, Liberty Insurance, Heineken, Opel, Unilever’s Lyons Tea, Absolut Vodka and Dublin Bus.

Rothco has been working with Enterprise Ireland since 2009. Patrick Hickey, Rothco’s Managing Director says: “Enterprise Ireland has been a huge help to us. Operating globally is virtually unknown for an Irish based ad agency but there is no reason it can’t be done. There is already a tradition of creative hot shops serving clients globally from cities such as Amsterdam. An Irish agency can do the same.”